Comment 11 for bug 387957

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gdi2k (gdi2k) wrote :

Ok, I checked on Mac OS (10.5.something) and they solve it as follows:

When navigating folders by keyboard, pressing tab ONCE takes you from the folder list straight back to the Name field, as it does in Windows (the layouts are different, but the effect is the same).

There are only four "tab stops" in the Mac Save dialog box: Name, Find, Places (equivalent) and the Folder List area - in that order. This works excellently when using only the keyboard to save a file in a specific location. I've never really used a Mac, but I was able get the hang of this in seconds.

Unlike Windows however, using the mouse to navigate the folder structure does not automatically return focus to the Name field - you have to do it by tabbing (once) or by using the mouse.

I have also noticed that in Ubuntu it is not possible to tab through all the fields as it is on both other OSs, as the Name field uses tab to autocomplete (it just shows "No match" when tab is pressed).

Unintuitively, the down arrow can be used to move away from the Name field instead. You can use the arrow keys to move through different fields until you reach the Places list, where behaviour changes again and they start moving up and down the Places list. Only tab will then take you from Places to the folder selection list. With a lot of upping and downing and tabbing it is actually possible to save a file in a specific location using the keyboard, but it is far from quick, easy or intuitive.

I think the whole save dialog needs looking at from scratch, but meanwhile I believe usability could be improved by:

1. Reverting focus to the Name field if a folder is double-clicked using the mouse (familiar Windows behaviour, which does not impact keyboard-using advanced users in any way).

2. Making the Name field the next tab stop after the folder selection list (familiar Windows and Mac behaviour). Keyboard using advanced users will welcome this too.